Artwork by https://www.deviantart.com/phoenix240

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It was suppose to be an easy kill. Then again, hydras were massive and among the most dangerous creatures of all; being trouble for even goddesses. But their size could be used against them when in the wrong place; or the right place for Sylva. In her centuries of hunting these creatures, Sylva knew that the best place to kill a hydra was in its lair. Sure the hydra knew the layout of its lair and could ambush from the darkest places, but there were spaces that would make it difficult for the hyper-aggresive predator to fully utilize its size. That's what Sylva was counting on.

She had organized a hunting party to kill the most recently full-grown hydra; as such beasts couldn't be allowed to roam the jungle, less they do severe damage. After waiting for the hydra to leave its lair, which was an underground cavern, the hunting party entered to find a suitable spot for an ambush. Sylva looked for the tightest places that would make it difficult for the hydra to move through. Then, after reaching the end of one tunnel, the hunting party came upon an open area. Sylva found this to be the perfect spot. By her instructions, the hunting part had set up rope to wrap around parts of massive, unstable rock along the cavern walls. The was to lure the hydra to this open area through the tunnel; upon its return. Then, by pulling on the ropes, the massive piles of rock would fall off the walls and down on the entrance and pin the beast down. The creature would be so focused on trying to fit its body through, in order to capture the one it was chasing, that it would be too distracted to notice massive boulders falling on the three heads (Sylva made count of how many heads the hydra had before it left the cavern).

Now, Sylva instructed her hunting party that they had to time it just right when it came to pulling boulders down on the hydra. All three heads would need to be through the hole (so that they could kill all three heads) and the boulders had to land just behind their heads; hydras are rather durable creatures so Sylva couldn't take the chance of trying to crush their skulls with the boulders. For there, the weight of the boulders would hold down the heads long enough for Sylva and her party to decapitate the heads (with blades that Sylva crafted with a material that could cut through the hydra's tough skin) then burn the exposed flesh afterwards to prevent new heads from growing back.

Sylva would pose as the bait for the hydra when it came back. When it saw her, standing in front of the entrance to its lair, the massive three-headed serpent gave chase. It was working well so far when Sylva was going through the tunnel to the ambush. The tunnel slowed the hydra down because it could move through the tunnel fast enough (due to its size) when chasing something to eat. The hunting party would eventually see their leader return, who told them to drop the boulders on her mark; once the hydra was in the right position. Eventually, the hydra reached the end of the tunnel and was starting to push its massive bulk through the entrance to that open cavern; which it was slow at doing.

It was here that once all three heads came through the hole, but the long necks and the rest of its body were still in the tunnel, Sylva gave the order to drop the boulders on the beast. It was here that she had bested the creature, if that was how this story was to go. Unfortuantely for Sylva, one of the hunters wanted to impress the Goddess of the Hunt (maybe they were infatuated by her) and did not pull when told. He wanted to allow one of the heads to come through so that he could fight and kill it. So when the time came to dropping the boulders on the hydra, this hunter waited instead. As a result, even though two heads were pinned by boulders, the last head was able to get through. Using its long neck in the open area it was able to swipe at the hunting party and block any projectiles thrown at it; keeping the humans and Sylva at a distance. This allowed the hydra enough time to free the other two heads and the hydra was free to move its massive bulk in that open cavern; where now it could use its full size to its potential.

"DAMN FOOL!" Sylva shouted out to the hunter that screwed up the plan. Now she had to think of another way of killing this thing, which wouldn't be easy even with her experience hunting these things and the weapons that would be useful in killing it. She tried to rally her hunting party, but most of them either gotten eaten (as some of them panicked) or fled; Sylva was not sure if the hunter that messed things up escaped, but he would be in massive trouble if he did.

But that did not matter to Sylva at this moment in time. Instead, she was currently holding back the jaws of the middle head, as it tried clamp down on her and swallow her. Now, Sylva was very strong. She could handle giant snakes no problem, but even she could not keep a hydra's powerful jaws open forever; and the weapons to kill the beast were out of her reach. Eventally, it would swallow her; there was attempting to simply jump out of the mouth, but with most of the hunting party gone, the hydra could focus its attention on her.

"Alright....big guy...." Sylva muttered as she felt the hot, sticky breath of the hydra on her back, with her hands and feet against the sticky flesh of its mouth, "You want...to...play rough? Fine...by...me..."

With no one else in a position to help her, Sylva could only think about a way to killing this beast on her; which wasn't going to be easy.

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Here's the first image in a sequence showing Sylva fighting a fully grown hydra. Of course, things are not going to plan and Sylva is now forced into a very uncomfortable position. Can she overcome the beast, or will the beast overcome her?

Next: https://aryion.com/g4/view/1113092

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